I'm Surrounded by Idiots and Dead People
by Alli Elizabeth
Summary: A story of two girls and what happens when they meet a certain group of boys. Hieixoc Hieioc Kuramaxoc Kuramaoc Rated T to be safe. Cursing on my part. Hiei and Kurama were both picked as the characters in the search because there are two OCs. NON-YAOI.
1. Chapter 1

**~ I ~**

"Kara? Is there some reason you dragged me out of my house at midnight?" my best friend Alli asks me while walking in an almost zombie-like daze.

I grin excitedly and respond, "Of course! We're going to QuickChek!"

She groans and slaps her forehead.

"What?" I ask in an innocent and confused voice.

She just shakes her head and continues walking with me.

Despite this, I walk on, a hyper bounce to my step. Yes, I _have_ had Mountain Dew, and _yes_ it's making me hyper. I grin again when our destination comes into view. "There it is!" I scream, running inside. I vaguely hear Alli sigh behind me, but she stays outside. Anyway, I run over to the slushy machine and get one of my precious blue slushies. I then bounce up to the counter to pay and notice they have that spearmint Stride gum that Alli likes so much. Pulling a five out of my pocket, I grab a pack of the gum and buy that too. I finally go back outside where Alli's waiting, "I'm back! Aaaaand, I got you Stride!"

She smiles real big and takes the gum, "Thanks."

'If she weren't half-asleep, she'd be bouncing off the walls, too,' I think as we start our walk back.

"So, you're still coming over tomorrow, right?" she asks, sounding kinda distant.

"Duh, why would I not be?" Living two-doors-down from each other, we hang out a lot. Alli actually just recently moved here from the next town over, so I guess she's getting used to being able to see me more.

She shrugs and keeps going.

Still thinking about stuff, I follow along, happily sipping my slushy. It's a few seconds of silence before I snap out of my thoughts when Alli tugs me by the arm. "Alli?"

She leads me along the back way to our houses, behind where QuickChek is. "Just checking something," she tells me.

Somehow, that doesn't make me feel less confused.

Alli stops and turns around, "Can we help you three?"

'...Whaa?' I turn too and see three guys standing there. One really tall, ugly one, another shorter guy in green with black hair, and a tall-ish red-head in order from left to right.

The kid in green smirks, "Actually, you can."

I stiffen, getting a bad feeling about where this is going.

"And what exactly do you need?" Alli asks, but I can sense her apprehensiveness.

The same kid chuckles, "You can relax, girls. We just need you to talk to someone. No trouble, right?"

Alli leans over to me, "You getting weird vibes from Red over there?"

I focus for a second and nod, "Yeah. Strong ones."

She looks back at the black-haired dude, "And if we say no?"

"Well, sorry, but... that's not really an option."

Alli's almost instantly in a fighting stance. "Go, run!" she tells me.

Tossing my slushy away, I respond, "No way! I'm staying with you!" I know she's just worried. Hand-to-hand fighting is one of her skills, so she's been teaching me, but I'm not done learning yet.

She sighs, but lets me stay since she obviously doesn't have the time to argue with me at the moment.

Green-kid shrugs, "Fine, if that's how you want it. Let's go."

With that, I charge and leap at Tall-and-ugly as I've dubbed him. Since he's not expecting it, I manage to punch him in the face pretty hard. When he stumbles back, I take the chance to make sure Alli's okay with those other two. She is, not shockingly. With all those flips and junk she can do, I'm not surprised she's okay. I turn back to Tall-and-Ugly right after Alli back-flips and kicks Red. He comes at me, trying to grab me, so I dodge and kick his side, causing him to stumble. 'He's so slow! By his size, he's probably pretty strong, though...' I muse, dodging another attempt at a grab. 'I'd better watch it and keep my distance.'

He growls, "Hold still, will ya!? I don't wanna hurt ya! I hate fighting girls!"

I give him a weird look, "Then stop coming at me, ya moron!" Of course, he doesn't and tries to grab me _again_. Getting kind of annoyed, I just bound backward, way out of his reach. Mid-jump, I feel another presence behind me. Eyes wide, I try to skid to a stop, but before I can move forward again, my arms are pulled roughly behind me and something cold is pressed to my neck.

"Unless you want your throat slit, I suggest you cooperate, girl," threatens a voice that sends shivers down my spine.

'He wouldn't-'

"I would."

My eyes go wide again, realizing he'd read my thoughts somehow. 'What the- Stay out of my head!'

Ugly comes over to us, "Nice move, Hiei. She's like you: tiny, but really fast."

I stick my tongue out at him, only to have my arms yanked painfully.

"Put that back in your mouth unless you want me to cut it off," he mutters.

I do so, growling lowly in frustration, which results in the blade being pressed harder to my neck.

Alli turns around and notices what's happened. Her eyes go wide, and boy does she look pissed. "Hey! Let Kara go!" she calls, turning from her opponents and starting towards us. She jumps right over Green-kid when he tries to stop her, but Red catches her by surprise and restrains her like I'm being held back right now.

I start panicking a little, "Alli!" and try to break free with this sudden burst of adrenaline. Unfortunately, the person holding me, "Hiei" I guess, is a lot stronger than me, because he doesn't even budge, only holds my arms tighter and presses the blade again. My arms are definitely gonna bruise now.

Since Alli doesn't have a blade at her throat, she has a little more freedom to struggle, which she does. What sucks for her is that Red's a few inches taller then her and stronger than he looks, because he just lifts her enough that her feet aren't touching the ground anymore.

Despite the situation, I have to resist laughing when I hear her start cursing and swearing at these jerks.

Green-kid sighs, "Would you relax? There's no reason for you to struggle." He then takes a... is that a _makeup compact?_ Okay, he takes it out of his pocket and starts... talking to it.

I exchange a look with Alli, one that says he's crazy and that's laughing at him all at once.

When he's done talking to it, he puts it away and tells the others, "Koenma says we're supposed to keep 'em here 'til Botan shows up. She's gonna make sure we got the right girls before she opens a portal for us."

"...Koenma?" I question.

"As in, prince of Spirit World, Koenma?" Alli asks, voicing the rest of my question.

Green-kid looks at her funny, "Yeah... why?"

"So... you guys... work for him?" she continues.

He nods.

Alli takes a breath, then says, "Well... WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO IN THE FIRST PLACE!!? WE WOULDN'T HAVE FOUGHT YOU IF WE'D KNOWN THAT!!"

The three wince, and I can feel my captor do the same. Green-kid yells back, "I didn't think it'd make any difference!"

I gape at him, "Are you kidding!? You sounded like a friggin' rapist!!"

Tall-and-ugly starts laughing, "Man, Urameshi, she's not too far off, huh!?"

"Urameshi? ..._Yusuke_ Urameshi?" I question.

He smirks, all confident and what-not, "The one and only."

I'm about to say something else, when I realize I'm still being restrained. I also realize that I can no longer feel my arms. Ignoring that little fact, I say over my shoulder, "You know, you _can_ let me go. I'm not going anywhere."

He seems to think about it for a few seconds, "...Hn." My arms are released, and the blade is removed.

I sigh in relief and turn around, "Thank-you!" I stop and stare as soon as I see him. I make sure to put up a mental wall so he can't hear any of it. He's maybe two inches taller than me, not counting his black, gravity-defying hair. He's got crimson-colored eyes and a white headband over his forehead.

I shake my head as I feel my face heating up, 'No. Bad thoughts. Bad.' I turn back around to tell them to let Alli go, but she's already back on her feet.

**Alli's P.O.V.**

'Okay, so he's Yusuke, the Spirit Detective. I guess the others are his friends or partners or whatever...' I glare at the guy holding Kara and debate trying to get free again.

As if reading my mind, my captor says quietly, "If you're not going to run away, I'll let you down. But if you try to escape, I'll have to stop you."

I sigh, "Like I'd leave without my best friend..."

Oddly enough, he chuckles and lowers me back to my feet, letting me go completely.

I turn to look at him and have to fight with myself to keep from blushing. Up until now, I'd been completely ignoring the fact that who was holding me back was _majorly_ cute. Rather than say something stupid, I turn back to where Kara is, only to find her already being let go. "Hm."

**Normal (Kara's) P.O.V.**

A thought occurs to me. I scowl at Tall-and-Ugly before kicking him in the groin, "I am NOT tiny you abnormally tall blockhead!!"

He topples to the ground, groaning in agony. What can I say? I kick hard.

Alli and Yusuke start laughing at what I'd done. Hiei's smirking, and Red's trying to contain his laughter.

As Ugly slowly starts recovering, a girl with... blue hair... huh. Yeah, a girl with blue hair comes into the lot.

"Is that her natural hair color?" I muse aloud, then notice Alli grinning like she'd been wondering the same thing.

The girl stops when she reaches us, "Sorry I'm late. People in this world are so strange. A group of teenagers stopped me and asked if my hair was natural."

Alli and I burst out laughing right there.

Hiei, I remember his name to be, looks at us weird, "I don't know what Koenma's thinking, asking these two idiot girls for help."

Red chides, "Don't judge them yet, Hiei. You don't know them."

"Yeah, Shorty, at least we get to work with a couple of pretty girls..." Ugly comments.

Then, a crow flies down out of nowhere and starts clawing the hell outta his face.

Alli and I start laughing again, as does Yusuke, while Blue tries to shoo the crow away.

When the bird finally flies off, Ugly's face is covered in scratches. "What the hell was that!?"

"I'm pretty sure it was a crow..." Alli says, pretending to be thinking about it.

"Okay, so I know that you're Yusuke, so that would make you Kurama, or Suichi... whatever you are by night," I look at Red as I say this, "you're Kuwabara, I think," I say to Tall-and-Ugly, "and then there's Hiei, right?" I finish, my eyes traveling to the second shortest person here. Me being the smallest. Grrr...

They all give some sort of affirmative, though Hiei's is just a quiet, "Hn," causing Alli and I to look at him weird and ask, "Is that your catchphrase or something?"

Everyone looks at us weird, causing us to then start laughing, and Alli explains, "We're connected like twins. That happens sometimes."

"Freaks..." Yusuke mutters.

"Like we've never heard that one before," I comment in return.

He shakes his head and turns to Blue, "So, Botan, we're all set here, right?"

She looks over Alli and I and nods, "Yes, everything seems to be in order. Alright, on to Spirit World!" And then a portal randomly pops up.

Alli grins, "YES!!" and runs through, leaving the others staring with "WTF" faces at where she'd been standing.

I just chuckle and follow after her. '_Now _she's awake...'

The others follow not too far behind.


	2. Chapter 2

**~II~**

I come out the on other side with the boys and Botan just in time to see Alli glomp Koenma while grinning insanely, "Koenmaaaa~!"

He sighs "Yes, it's nice to see you too, Alli." He looks over at me, "Hello Kara. Welcome back."

I nod, "Yo."

Alli lets him go and comes over to stand by me, "So what up with the ambush?"

Koenma blinks, looks at the boys strangely, then looks back at us, "Well I'm not sure how they went about it, but I told the team to find you and get you here."

Alli and I exchange a glance, but choose not to say anything.

He continues, "You see, there's been a slight increase in activity in the Demon World. I don't think it's anything to worry about, but it made me think that perhaps it's time to bolster our numbers. I've been looking for possible new members for the past few days, and I came upon your files this morning. I thought that, since I already know you both personally, and I know very well how capable you are, you'd be ideal candidates. So what do you say, girls? Would you be interested in joining the Spirit Detective team?"

I grin, as does Alli, and after exchanging a glance, we nod, "Absolutely."

Koenma seems pleased with our response, "Very good. I believe having you two on or side will make things considerably easier."

"Forgive me if I don't see the point in this, Koenma," Hiei starts. "But I fail to see how two teenaged human girls can help with anything concerning the Spirit World. They can throw a decent punch, I'll give them that, but what aid can they possibly offer?"

Alli crosses her arms, and I glare at him. I purposely lower my mental barrier so he can hear, 'Sexist, arrogant, jerk...'

I know he's heard me because his eyes narrow at me. I reply by sticking my tongue out at him.

"You shouldn't be so quick to judge them, Hiei. You should know there are reasons behind every decision I make, and this is no exception. Having the girls around will not only help in combat, but I think it might be good for the four of you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kuwabara asks.

Koenma waves it off, "You'll see. Anyway, Alli, Kara, I'd like for you to demonstrate your abilities to the boys tomorrow morning. It should give them a better idea of what they're working with. Other than that, you're free to return home for now."

"Sweet," Alli says with a yawn.

A portal pops up next to us, so we bid a quick good-bye to everyone before heading through.

Once we reach the other side, the portal disappears. Alli stretches and says, "Man, I'm exhausted now..."

I grin, "Not me! I'm excited!"

Alli rolls her eyes, "Shocker. Tell ya what? I'll be excited with you tomorrow."

"Okay!" We then go to our respective houses for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**~III~**

Okay. Just because I'm excited, that doesn't mean I'm happy about having to wake up early. Despite that, I manage to drag myself out of bed and get ready. Once I've showered, I dress myself in a black and white striped V-neck under a black pirate-type-looking jacket and a pair of long, black, form-fitting pants and black shoes. I also put on my necklace that's like a choker with a silver skull hanging from it. I then brush my short, choppy-styled brown hair and, ready for the day, I head outside, only to meet Alli on the curb between our houses.

Alli's wearing a blue kimono-top that goes down to just above her mid-thighs, and has separated sleeves that tie onto her arms. There are different shades of blue, green, and purple all flowing together on the shirt and sleeves. Under that, she's wearing black, just-above-the-knee-shorts that hug her legs. Her brown and blonde, layered hair is up in a really feathery ponytail on the left side of her head, and she's wearing those slipper-shoes that have the ribbons that tie up to her shins. Hm, combat friendly, and kinda cute.

She grins at me, "I like your outfit. 'Specially the jacket."

"Thanks. Yours is cool too." Yeah, we're awesome. A portal then pops up, as if by some magical cue. Grinning at each other, we run through.

The boys and Koenma are waiting at the other end

I look around, 'Hm. I've never seen the outside of Koenma's place before. ...Kinda eerie...'

"Nice to see you both prepared for this morning," said prince comments. "Which of you would like to go first?"

I give him a weird look as I walk past him to the empty space where no one's standing. "Good morning to you too..." I mutter.

Alli's P.O.V.:

I smirk as Kara readies herself, "Time to raise the dead..."

Kurama, apparently having heard me, sends me a questioning look.

I nod towards Kara, "You'll see. Just try not to freak out like I'm betting Kuwabara will."

He still looks confused, but turns to watch as Kara beings to radiate a kind of dark purple energy. Demonic aura surrounds her, and translucent, bluish-white figures begin to form around us. As the energy grows, the figures begin to look more human. They start moving towards Kara, their eyes glowing a bright, pale blue.

I just laugh as the four take on defensive stances. Well, three of them do. Kuwabara just starts shaking. "Alright, Kara. I think Kuwabara's about to faint."

Though her eyes are closed, she smirks, then lowers her raised arms to her sides. The glow disappears, and the figures go with it.

Koenma chuckles, "No need for alarm. Those figures were ghosts, or apparitions, summoned by Kara."

They all go wide-eyed, causing Kara and I to start laughing and high-five.

"Kara is one of the last remaining Necromancers in any of the three worlds. She can animate the dead and control shadows and dark energy," Koenma explains.

"She can also control shadow-fire and read minds, plus steal energy from demons with a special enchantment. So in other words, she's a total badass. Make her mad enough and she'll sick dead people on you," I say with a smirk.

Yusuke's still bug-eyed, "Whaddaya mean she can steal energy?"

I grin, "Say she pokes Hiei. If her skin makes contact with his, she can take his energy to use for herself. So either skin-to-skin contact or a conductor she enchants will work."

Hiei glares at me, "I highly doubt such a simple trick would work on an upper-class demon like me, or Kurama for that matter."

As if on cue, Kara pokes Hiei's arm, taking a tiny tap of spirit energy.

Said demon flinches away, glaring at her.

She shrugs, "What? I'm supposed to be demonstrating."

He just growls, "Don't touch me, girl."

Kara sighs and pokes me, "Your turn."

"Yeah, yeah..." I mutter, mentally snickering at Hiei.

Normal P.O.V.:

Yusuke smirks, "Gonna be pretty tough to beat controlling dead people, ya know..."

Alli narrows her eyes at him, backs up a few steps, then runs forward and leaps up into the air. Mid-jump, she changes into a large tiger, allowing her to pounce on Yusuke and pin him to the ground. ((I think I come pretty close, don't you?))

He goes bug-eyed, "Did she just _talk_!?"

Alli backs off of him, letting him scramble up, and yawns, ((Technically, I'm not talking. I'm broadcasting my thoughts so you can understand me.))

Unable to restrain myself, I grin and glomp Alli, "KITTY!!"

She sighs through her nose, but then starts purring when I pet her head.

Kuwabara laughs, "Aww, she's just a little kitty-cat."

Alli growls and, once I let go of her, changes into a white wolf and snaps her teeth at him with a snarling bark.

Needless to say, he practically flies backwards out of fear and hides behind Yusuke.

"That's enough, Alli. No need to terrorize him, now," Koenma "scolds" her.

She huffs and changes back into a human, brushing herself off. She then explains, "I'm pretty much a shape-shifter. I can turn into and talk to any animal, even ones that aren't really supposed to exist, like dragons and the like. I can also turn into hybrids."

Kurama seems to be thinking about it, "What exactly do you mean by hybrid?"

She flicks her wrist, revealing elongated claws. Her ears disappear and are replaced by cat ears, and her teeth become more canine.

I chuckle, "She can combine parts of animals. That, and she can pick parts she wants like the claws, wings and whatnot."

Alli goes back to normal, and Koenma speaks again, "I wasn't kidding when I said things would get easier. These two are no pushovers."

We high-five again.

"Now, I'll let you all go to do as you please, but I strongly suggest you spend some more time getting to know each other. The more familiar you are, the better you'll work together." With that, a portal opens, and we're free to go as Koenma goes inside.


	4. Chapter 4

**~IV~**

At the other side of the portal, I find myself with everyone else back in town. The portal disappears behind us, so I ask, "...Are we actually doing what Koenma said we should?"

Everyone just kind of glances at each other and shrugs. Apparently that means "yes", because the boys start walking, leaving Alli and me to catch up and follow along.

Yusuke asks the first question. "So, anything we should know right off the bat?"

"You mean other than that we're grade-A spazzes?" Alli replies.

He rolls his eyes, "Thanks for the warning..."

Alli and I laugh, "We're not _that_ bad." We look at each other and grin, holding back more laughter.

Kurama doesn't even seemed fazed. "To be this close, you two must have known each other for a long time."

I shrug, "Not really."

"We've only known each other since our freshman-year of high-school," Alli adds.

He tilts his head, "And now you're both...?"

"Juniors," we reply in unison.

Kuwabara snickers, "Congratulations Hiei. You're not the shortest anymore."

I glare up at him wordlessly, about ready to hurt him.

He just goes on. "Isn't there some law that says ya gotta be a certain height, or you're considered a legal midget?"

"At least if I trip," I start, "I have less of a way to go before I hit the ground. Plus, it makes it easier to do this." I pull my elbow back and aim slightly down, hitting Kuwabara right where it hurts.

Yusuke and Alli start cracking up as he falls to the ground.

I attempt to give Alli a high-five, but she can't quite focus because she's laughing so hard, so we half-miss. "That was a fail! Try again!" I laugh. We get it this time!

Between laughing and trying to breathe, Yusuke manages, "Spazzes or not, you're cool in my book!"

Alli and I punch the air, still laughing. "Woot!"

Trying to get up, Kuwabara yells, "Why do you have to aim THERE!?"

I answer, "Because it causes you the most pain."

"But why do you keep hitting ME!?"

"Because you're an easy target. And kinda slow..." I point out.

He growls, finally getting to his feet and crossing his arms.

When we get walking again, Kurama says, "There's something I've been wondering about." He directs his question to Alli and I. "Are there any aspects of your powers that you can't control? It's obvious that you both have a good hold on your abilities, but abnormal talents in humans are often unpredictable at a certain extent."

...Now that I'm officially lost, I just blink and reply, "...What?"

Alli shakes her head, "In English, he basically asked if our powers do anything that we can't control. The answer's yes, but nothing drastic or dangerous at all. The things that happens to me are more like... quirks. And Kara's could be called side-effects, I guess."

Yusuke looks at us, "What kinda stuff are we talkin' about here?"

I look up in thought. "Hmm... Well, sometimes the dead contact me in my sleep. Not like haunting me or anything, just talking or asking for help, etc. That, and sometimes I'll see them when I'm out minding my own business. The last thing is that I generally need to stay away from graveyards."

He blinks, "Why?"

"Just take my word for it. It's a bad idea."

"Okaaaaayyy..." Yusuke drawls, obviously a little freaked. He turns to Alli, "So what's wrong with you?"

"I do some things subconsciously because of all the animal-influences."

"Like what?" Kuwabara asks carefully.

"Stupid things. Like when someone surprises me, cat ears and a tail pop out. The same thing happens if I'm tired or sick and I sneeze."

Yusuke chuckles, "That'll be fun to test. Anything else?"

"The only other thing I can think of is that animals follow me sometimes. Especially-"

"Kitties!" I spaz.

Alli sighs, "Yes, kitties. Speaking of which..." Alli turns around and smiles down at a tiny calico kitten. She gently picks him up off the sidewalk and cradles him, "I told you to stop following me you silly kitten..." She turns back to us, "He's been tailing me for about five minutes now."

I go all bug-eyed and smiley, "Aww, he's so cute!" and start petting him.

Yusuke sweatdrops, "You weren't kidding."

"Obviously," she mutters. She gets that "oh yeah" look on her face and turns to Kurama. "And just so you know, Kara's the human one. Well, mostly..."

He seems confused, "But you don't appear to be a demon at all. There's not even a demonic presence around you..."

I decide to put my two cents in, "Well Hiei doesn't look like a demon either, save for that third eye of his, and he wasn't even born with that. ...And honestly, you don't look much like a demon yourself..."

Kurama doesn't reply to that, but I do catch Hiei looking at me oddly.


	5. Chapter 5

**~V~**

I nearly gag while dry-swallowing two Benadryl pills. "Augh, I _hate_ dry-swallowing..."

Alli sighs, "Then next time, don't touch the cat."

Ignoring the boys' bemused stares, I repeat in a mocking voice, "_Don't touch the cat. Neh, neh, neh-_" only to be interrupted by my own sneeze. I can hear Yusuke snickering.

"Bless you. **Again**." Alli says with a smirk.

I sigh, "Alright, fine. I won't touch him next time!" I glare at the kitten in her arms. "...It's all your fault. Who gave you the right to be so cute, huh?"

The kitten only blinks at me and mews confusedly (or what I assume is confusedly).

Alli laughs, "No, you're not in trouble."

I look at all of the guys' expressions: Yusuke's trying to keep from laughing, Kuwabara's looking around at where we are, Kurama's watching Alli talk to the kitten, obviously finding it interesting that she can, and Hiei has a look on his face that clearly conveys "I can't believe this is my life."

Alli glances around at us as we arrive at an intersection. "So, what do you guys wanna do?"

Yusuke points in the same direction we'd been walking. "I'm gonna hit the arcade before it gets crowded. You coming Kuwabara?"

"Yeah, I'm in," he says. They both sort of wave before starting off down the street.

I turn to Alli, "You going to your hideout?"

"Nah. I'm gonna head to the bookstore. Maybe I'll finally find that stupid book..." She mutters the last part, setting the kitten on the ground and watching it pad away. "You going to yours?"

"Yeah. It's nice out today." We exchange a high-five, and I turn to Hiei and Kurama with a slight smile. "See ya around, guys." With that, I go left and cross the street, heading towards a quieter part of town.

'Thank God it's Saturday...' I muse, happy to be going again. I walk about six blocks until I reach an old church. I smile a bit, already feeling at ease near the aged, slightly vine-covered building. Casting a weary glance at the cemetery on the next block, I get to a side-wall of the church that's nearly completely covered with leafy vines and start climbing.

One rope-like tendril after another, I climb until I get to a perpetually open window. With as much agility as I can gather up, I hoist myself into the building and land on the old marble floor with little more than a tapping sound from my shoes. I look around at all the old pews and everything and murmur, "Same as ever..." I make my way to the ladder near the door and start upwards, not even wavering at the ominous creaking of the each peg. After climbing the near hundred-foot ladder, I finally reach my destination: the belfry.

It's pretty open, really just a four-cornered frame with open sides and a pointed roof. An aged bell hangs in the center a few feet above my head, while the rope, a thick braid with a knot at the end, sways slightly from where it hangs in front of me.

I reach my arms up over my head and stretch, basking in the peace and quiet while letting the sun warm me. My gaze travels out over the town, then straight at the mountain as my mind starts wandering. 'Well, Alli went to the bookstore... I wonder where the other two went.'

"You don't pay attention very often, do you?"

I whirl around, nearly falling from the tower, and try to blink my shock away. "What the- Hiei!? What are you doing here?"

"Last time I checked, I don't need a reason to go where I please," he replies smartly.

I glare at him. "You do if it involves stalking someone, which you apparently did to get here."

He glares right back. "You can't prove that."

"Yes I can. I come here almost all the time. If you'd been here before, I would've seen you, so you followed me."

Hiei only "hn"s and looks out at where I'd been looking only a moment before.

I sigh in frustration, but wordlessly cross my arms and glare at the distance.

"I don't see why you're so angry."

"I'm angry because this is my sanctuary. The only other person who's seen it is Alli, or she _was_ at least. No one else is supposed to know about it."

He rolls his eyes, "Big deal."

I just huff and continue my distant glaring, only the glare's died down to an annoyed look. I don't say anything more, not really wanting to talk to him right now.

"I wanted to ask about your powers. Alli mentioned shadow fire before..." he admits.

I peer over at him, "...What do you want to know?"

"What you can do."

I shrug, "It's nothing special. It comes with being a necromancer. I can do the same things with it that any fire demon can do with normal flames. The only difference is that the shadow fire is a lot more dangerous and can't be put out with water."

"That's not something to take lightly. To you, it may seem routine, but there are only three or four beings left who have such an ability," he says without looking at me.

I tilt my head, a little weirded out by his not-so-jerk-like attitude. "Umm... Thank-you?"

"It's not a compliment, it's a fact." And the "I'll kill you" demeanor is back. "I'm willing to bet demons and hunters alike have come after you for your powers..."

I nod, choosing to ignore the harshness of his tone. "You'd win that bet, but that's not really a bad thing. A little annoying, but it's a pretty good way to stay in shape."

Hiei finally sets his cold stare on me, "How is being hunted for your life not a bad thing?"

"It's how I met Alli. I'd seen her around school, but we'd never talked or anything. She helped me fight off a hunter once by distracting him. We've been close ever since," I explain, my eyes glazing over a little at the memory.

"I don't care for your sentimental recollections. I was only curious about your powers; spare me the unnecessary details."

"Bite me. You asked, I answered. Lesson for the future."

His glare intensifies, "You're lucky we're allies by force, or I'd-"

"You'd what? Kill me? You'd kill one of the _only_ necromancers left? Koenma would have a field day with that one," I point out sarcastically. "Go ahead. I dare you."

He growls, but says nothing in response, even though I'm fully prepared for some horrible threat or insult. Eventually he comes up with, "Don't tempt me. I have effective ways of getting around Koenma and his rules."

I roll my eyes, "Why are you so cold all the time? I don't want to be fighting with someone I'm supposed to work with, but your attitude's not helping."

"I have nothing to gain from being nice to you. Why should I bother with some near-human like you?" he asks rhetorically. He turns away again. "If you were thinking we'd be friends, you'd do well to throw those thoughts away." That being said, he jumps from the belfry and into the surrounding trees.

I sigh, my relaxed and relatively good mood completely destroyed. I groan and yell aloud, "What a JERK!!" I slump against the wooden frame and cross my arms. 'At least the others are easier to get along with...'

* * *

**Alli's P.O.V.**

I stand on my tip-toes, trying to reach this stupid book. Some jerk-lady has the ladder, and she won't let me use it for two seconds to reach the shelf. 'Come on... Eeeehhh...' I try to hop the couple of inches I need to get it, only to nearly lose my balance. I flail one arm, trying to straighten up, but someone grabs it and steadies me. Once I'm back how I should be, I turn around to thank the person, but to my surprise, I find Kurama smiling down at me. I go a little red at the fact that he'd seen my spasm, "Err... thanks for the save."

He chuckles, "You're welcome. ...What are you doing?"

"Trying to get that book up there," I respond, nodding towards the black book on the top shelf.

He steps past me and reaches up, easily sliding the book from its place and bringing it down. He smiles again, "This?"

I grin and nod, "Thanks. ...Again." I accept the book and look over the back cover, only to find it's not what I was looking for, unsurprisingly. I sigh, "Why is this stupid book so hard to find?"

"Not what you wanted?" Kurama asks, sort of.

"No. The book is titled 'Enter Three Witches'. It's based off of-"

"Macbeth; I know. I'm going to guess that everywhere you ask for it, you get copies of Macbeth or analytical books about it, right?"

I sigh, "You got it. I've been trying to find it for two weeks, and I've tried every bookstore in town. The library has it, but it's always checked out. Someone has the only copy and keeps renewing it."

For reasons unknown to me, he smiles again and simply says, "Come with me, then. I think I might be able to help." He then leads me out of the bookstore and down the street.

I follow with a curious look. "Where are we going?"

"To get your book."

"...And how do you plan on doing this?"

He chuckles again, "Just be patient. You'll see."

I sigh, "Because a straight answer just wouldn't work..."

"Of course not. That would ruin the suspense," he points out, almost smirking. After a few seconds, he glances at me. "What did you and Kara mean by your 'hideouts'?"

"Exactly what we said. We both have somewhere we go when we want to be alone to think or relax or whatever. I'm the only one who knows about hers, and her about mine," I explain.

"I see... Where is there to go that others don't know about in a place like this?"

I smirk, "Nice try. I'm not nearly tired enough to let it slip that easily."

He chuckles again, "Fair enough."

I look around and see that we're on a pretty quiet street. I continue following him until he stops outside a house.

Kurama turns to me with that same smile. "Here we are."

"I guess it's safe to assume that this is your house?" When he nods, I tilt my head in confusion.

Before I even ask anything, he says, "Just follow me."

Even though I'm seriously suspicious, I follow him inside. I hear a woman's voice talking in the next room.

"Suichi? Is that you?"

He nods for me to go with him as he walks into the other room, "Yes, it's me. I need to get something for my friend."

Taking that as a cue, I shyly step into the room, which turns out to be the kitchen. I smile sheepishly, "...Hi, I'm Alli. It's nice to meet you, Miss Minamino."

She almost automatically smiles back. "Well hello. It's nice to meet you too, Alli. Please, call me Shiori." She nearly unnoticeably glances at Kurama before saying, "Make yourself at home. I'd like to speak with Suichi for just a minute."

I nod, "Sure, and thanks." I wander back out into the living room and sit down on the sofa, glad to be out of that awkwardness. 'Why didn't he tell me his mother was home!? That was so random! I hope his mom doesn't think I'm weird for being so shy...' I look back at the doorway to the kitchen, 'Wonder what they're talking about... I really shouldn't, but...' Despite my better judgment, I form cat ears and tune into the conversation. Yes, I know I'm nosey, but I can't help it!

"She seems very nice," I hear his mother say. "And I mean genuinely nice. Not like some of the girls from your school who seem drawn to you."

Kurama laughs, I think. "She is, and you're right. Alli is... very different from those girls at school."

I roll my eyes, snickering inwardly. 'You have no idea...'

When Shiori speaks again, it almost _sounds_ like she's grinning. "And by different, you mean...?"

"Mother..."

She laughs. "I'm sorry, but can you blame me? She really does look like a sweet girl. I thought maybe when you said she was a "friend", you just didn't want to embarrass her."

I feel my face light up bright red at that, and I can only imagine how Kurama's reacting to it.

He sighs, "We just met. I said she was a friend because she is."

"For now..."

"Mother, please..."

Shiori laughs, "Alright, have it your way. I'll leave you two be."

"Thank-you. I just need to get something for her. We won't be long." He starts for the living room, then.

Trying to get rid of my blush, I get rid of the ears and look up as he walks in, like I'd just noticed him.

He's a little red, too. He clears his throat before saying, "It's up in my room. Come on."

I nod, getting to my feet and trailing behind him. When we enter his room, I look around a little. "...I can't believe a guy's room can be this neat. I thought messiness was built into male DNA..."

Kurama laughs. "In most cases, yes. But I'm happy to say that I've always been strange that way."

"Amen."

He turns to me after closing the door. "I'm sorry about my mother. She can be a little... eccentric sometimes."

"What are you talking about?" I ask, wearing my best poker face.

He half-smirks with one eyebrow raised in skepticism. "I know you were listening. Your face was cherry-red when I walked in."

That just makes my face flare again. Despite that, I grin lopsidedly. "In that case... can I laugh?"

He sighs, "I'd prefer you didn't."

Containing myself, I shrug. "Okay. I can wait 'til I leave." At his annoyed look, I snicker. "Oh come on, that was too awkward not to laugh at!"

Shaking his head, he crosses the room to a shelf and takes a small, black book down. He turns and holds it out to me.

Blinking, I take it and read the cover. Once I see the title, my eyes go wide. "B-But, how did you-"

"It's the library's copy. I've reread it a dozen times." He smiles again. "If I'd known someone was waiting for it, I would've brought it back sooner."

I blink at the cover a few more times before grinning at him. "You have just made my month and are officially my favorite."

He laughs, "You're restraining yourself very well. From what I've seen so far, I expected you to react a little more... excitedly."

"You wanna see excited?"

"Perhaps when it won't give my mother ideas."

"You got it. But there's one thing I can't stop myself from doing." I pretty much bound forward and glomp him. "Thank-youThank-youThank-you!!"

Kurama chuckles and pats my head, probably not sure how to react. "You're welcome. Just make sure you get it back to the library on time."

"Yes, sir!" I detach from him and follow him back downstairs.

"Are you leaving, Alli?" Shiori asks, suddenly coming into view.

"Yes, ma'am. It was very nice meeting you." I bow my head a little.

She smiles, "The same to you. I hope you'll come back again soon."

Kurama, probably noticing my blush, tells her, "I'm sure you'll see her again."

I nod and, with a wave to both of them, head outside with "Enter Three Witches" held securely in my arms. I call over my shoulder, "I owe you one, Suichi!" I start jogging home, excited to read the book.


	6. Chapter 6

**~VI~**

Alli's P.O.V.

My paws beating the grass, I dodge between trees without looking back. 'Gotta hide!' As fast as I can force myself to run, I continue through the wooded area of the mountain's reserve until I reach a spot thick with trees. Bounding behind a rock formation, I change from a cheetah back into a person and pull my phone from my pocket. The sounds of snapping teeth and paws on the dirt draws closer, causing me to panic slightly.

Slightly out of breath, I hurriedly punch in Kara's number and type, "SOS!!" Just as it's sent and the phone is back in my pocket, barking reaches my ears. I turn into a finch and fly straight upwards.

As soon as I'm above the trees, a pack of white and grey wolves bursts into the area I'd been hiding in, sniffing around with their teeth bared.

I hear a shrill, almost musical sound, like someone playing a harsh note on a flute. Looking around for where it might be coming from, I'm nearly knocked out of the air by a falcon. I spiral and dive down into the treetops, flying between branches to try and shake it off. 'Come on, Kara!'

Kara's P.O.V.

I walk down the street towards my house, vaguely wondering what everyone else is up to. Alli's gone to the mountain's nature reserve, but I'm not sure about the others. My phone starts vibrating in my pocket, causing me to sigh. I take it out and open up the message. 'From Alli?' My eyes go wide as "SOS!!" flashes on the screen. I shove the phone back in my pocket and focus my energy. The usual, slight purple glow forms around me as I start levitating. Sticking to quieter areas, I head for the reserve. I squint a little against the wind, speeding up enough that I don't wear myself out too fast.

"Kara! Hey! Where's the fire!?"

I glance down towards the seemingly deserted side-street and see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama trying to keep up with me. I glide lower so I'm level with them. "I got an SOS from Alli! Something's wrong!"

They all look worried all of a sudden. Yusuke calls, "Where is she!?"

"At the mountain reserve; I'm headed there now! Can you keep up!?"

They all nod, following my lead as we head for the start of the reserve's trail.

Alli's P.O.V.

I shift back into human form in midair, landing on the grass in a kneeling position. My breathing is slightly heavy from all the running and flying. 'This is ridiculous! Why are the animals chasing me!?'

As if on cue, the four wolves from before come speeding into the clearing. The alpha of the pack comes charging at me, leaving me just enough time to jump to the side. They all start circling me, growling menacingly.

I try to force my influence on them, trying to get them to back off, but they only start barking and snarling. I curse under my breath, "Damn it... This is bad..." I take a defensive stance, ready to protect myself. 'Why didn't I bring my bow!? Or my knives, at least!?' I sense another presence nearby, a slightly familiar one. Even further away, Kara's made it to the reserve, and it feels like she's not alone. I focus on the closer one and glance into the trees at the edge of the clearing. Tapping into my powers, I enhance my vision, but I still can't see much. 'Red eyes? ...Hiei!?'

As if with some silent agreement, the wolves lunge forward all at once.

Snapping back, I jump out of their circle and flip backwards. I land a couple of feet away, barely keeping my balance. 'I need to get more sleep... I can barely keep up with them...'

They all start coming at me again, so I do my best to dodge their advances while still keeping tabs on Hiei's aura.

He's moving in the treetops, but I have no idea what he's doing.

I backflip again, only to end up with my back to a tree. 'Hell, I can't fight my own attribute!'

The alpha leaps at me unexpectedly, catching my right arm with his claws.

I stagger to the left, clutching the scratch and gritting my teeth.

The alpha barks sharply, then runs at me again.

I flinch back as he jumps, readying myself for the attack.


	7. Chapter 7

**~VII~**

To my surprise, the wolf's attack never comes. With a whine, he's knocked away into the grass by a wall of rippling, purple-black energy.

Kara levitates to my side and gives me a once-over. "You okay?"

Kara's P.O.V.

Alli nods, wincing slightly from three cuts on her arm. "Just a scratch. Thanks." She looks behind me at the others and smirks a little. "I see you brought the cavalry."

"All for you, my love," I joke, despite the situation. I look at the growling wolves in front of us, watching them eye us with their fur bristling. "...What'd you do? Normally wolves act like puppies around you."

"They've been chasing me since I got here. All the animals have! There was a falcon before when I tried to fly away, but I lost it." She sighs, "I can't figure out why they're trying to hurt me!"

Kuwabara joins us, "There's something wrong with 'em! Look at their eyes!"

Alli and I, as well as Yusuke and Kurama, do so. It turns out that he's right; their eyes are practically glowing a pale orange color.

Yusuke steps up, "They're just dogs! I say we waste 'em!"

Alli glares at him, "I say we don't! Maybe you've forgotten, but this is a nature RESERVE, meaning the animals here are protected. Besides, you heard Kuwabara; there's something _making_ them act like this."

He rolls his eyes, "Hippie."

The wolves all stop growling and look around them. Then, all at once, they let out a loud howl and back away from us.

I watch them carefully, "What are they doing?" As if it would answer my question, a loud, shrill note plays through the air, almost making me wince at how high it is. I look over at Alli and see her covering her ears and flinching. I look at the others, but they're just looking around, probably trying to see where the sound is coming from. 'If Alli's the only one the noise is actually getting to, that has to be what's making the animals so hostile...'

I turn back to the guys. "We have to find where that noise is coming from! It's making the animals attack us!"

Kurama seems surprised. "How can you be sure?"

"Look at Alli; she can barely stand the sound. She's as close to an animal as it gets, so that has to be it!" I try to explain, starting to look around through the trees.

"It's worth a shot," Yusuke agrees. He turns to Kuwabara. "You feel anything nearby?"

He looks around carefully, eyes narrowed in concentration. He gets a surprised look on his face, "There's two of 'em! In the trees!" He points at a group of trees to our right. "One of 'em's over there, but the other one keeps moving."

I nod, "Good enough for me." I focus some of my energy into my hand, forming a ball of pure shadow-fire. I squint at the treetops, then wind my arm back and throw the ball, sending it soaring straight at the trees. It punches a hole right through the leaves, but doesn't seem to hit anything. "I missed..."

But the sound stops, and a figure flies out of the trees and lands on the other side of the line of wolves. It stands at its full height, revealing itself as a woman, obviously inhuman by the small horns on either side of her head, dressed in a blue kimono and holding something in her hand. She scowls at me and flips her obnoxiously bright green hair. "Watch where you're aiming, half-pint!" she screeches in a rather annoying voice.

The comment causes me to twitch slightly, but I ignore it for the time being.

Alli, who probably hates this woman already, yells, "Who the hell are you!"

With an air of smugness, she answers, "Takana, Mistress of the Wilds. And _you_, are interfering with my hunt! I was about to move in on my prey!"

"That's because your 'prey' is a friend of ours," Yusuke informs her.

She rolls her eyes, "And you think I care? She's a nuisance, disrupting my hold on the beasts of this place! She must be dealt with."

"You shouldn't have a hold on them in the first place!" Alli yells, her endless concern for the animals taking over.

I resist the urge to laugh. "So you attacked her because the animals like her better? That's pretty sad..."

"Watch your mouth, dwarf!" she snaps. "I _will_ regain control, even if I have to take all of you down with this brat!" Takana brings the object in her hand, which I now see is a flute of some kind, up to her lips. The same shrill sound fills the air, and the wolves howl in unison.

Alli cries out, covering her ears again and falling to the ground on her knees. Her eyes are shut tight, like she's in physical pain from the sound.

I take a defensive stance in front of her, small sparks of dark energy crackling around me. "She can't fight like this!" I call to the others. "We need to get that flute!"

Kurama, rose-whip in hand, and Kuwabara join me near where Alli's doubled over. Both look ready to fight.

Yusuke cracks his knuckles. "You guys watch out for her! I'll deal with Takana!" And he's off.

The wolves lunge towards us, snarling loudly.

I immediately start casting dark shields in front of me, trying to keep them at bay without hurting them.

Kurama follows my lead, using his whip to lash at the ground in front of the wolves. It seems to work, as they don't try to get close enough to attack him.

Kuwabara knocks them away as they come, though he thankfully doesn't appear to do any real damage.

I venture a glance towards where Yusuke's forced Takana back towards the trees. The demon never ceases playing, even while dodging every one of the detective's attacks. I then turn to Alli for a moment and immediately wish _I_ were the one chasing the woman down.

Alli's curled up on the ground, clutching at her head, tears forming in her eyes.

"Yusuke, hurry up!" I yell. "I don't know what it's doing to her, but Alli won't be able to stand the noise much longer!"

"I'm trying, but she's too fast!" he calls back. "I can't hit her!"

Takana leaps back into the trees, out of our sights.

"Damn it! Stop being a coward and get down here!"

I send more of the wolves flying back, mentally cursing this demon. 'This is bad; we're at a total disadvantage now!'

The flute's sound starts moving, signaling that Takana's moving through the trees. It gets louder, then suddenly stops.

The wolves halt in their onslaught, wobble a bit, then all slump to the ground, either unconscious or exhausted.

I exchange a glance with the boys, but they're as lost as I am. A rustling in the trees to our right draws our attention.

There's a harsh cracking sound, like wood snapping, then another rustling before Takana drops from the trees and lands on the ground. Her eyes are wide open, but there's a clean cut across her throat.

It hits me then, 'The other person Kuwabara sensed...'

Right then, Hiei jumps from the trees and lands near the corpse, Takana's flute in two pieces in his hand.


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N: Sorry, this one's more of a chapter-ette...)**

**~VIII~**

I openly gape at the scene before me. "...Hiei?"

He glares at the broken flute in his hand. "That may have been the most annoying sound I've ever heard."

Kuwabara sighs in relief, "Nice job, Hiei."

I watch the fire demon for a moment, then snap my gaze back to Alli and kneel at her side. "Alli... you okay?" With a little struggling, she eventually lets me pry her hands from over her ears.

Small tear trails are present on her face, but she doesn't look like she's in pain anymore. Her eyes are still closed.

"That flute..." I murmur. "What the hell was it?"

"Is she alright?" Kurama asks, also looking her over.

I nod, "Yeah, but she probably has the mother of all headaches right now."

Slowly, Alli stirs, her eyes opening just a little.

"Before you ask, no, you're not dead," I joke half-heartedly.

"Oh, I know. Being dead wouldn't hurt this much..." she mutters, sitting up carefully. She puts a hand to her head gingerly. "Ouch... What happened?"

"You passed out when Takana started playing her flute again," Kuwabara says. "I don't get it, though. To the rest of us, it was just annoying..."

"Where is it?"

Yusuke jabs his thumb towards the corpse. "Hiei snapped it when he took her down. That's when the wolves stopped freaking out, too."

Said demon walks over to us, pieces of the instrument still in hand.

Alli looks up at him with slightly clouded eyes, probably from the dizziness. "Thanks."

"Hn... Here." He drops the pieces next to her.

She takes the two halves and holds them together. "..."

"What? What is it?" Yusuke asks, obviously curious.

"...It's called the Druid's Shinobue. I've only ever seen it in a book on demonic relics." She hesitates, "It lets a demon spread their spirit energy with the sound, and they can control any animal that hears it. All they have to do is think a command while they play."

"But why did it have such a harsh effect on you?" Kurama questions.

"Probably because I'm so much like an animal. The humanoid part of my brain was unaffected, but the animal part of me wanted to listen. My body was fighting itself." A low whine interrupts her and gets her attention.

The wolves have gotten back to their feet, and the alpha is slowly padding his way over.

I notice that Kurama grips his rose-whip as though he's ready to fight it off if he has to.

The wolf sits back on its haunches in front of Alli, whimpering like a puppy.

Alli smiles a little. "It's okay..." she assures him, then reaches out and pats his muzzle. "You couldn't have done anything."

He nudges her arm, then licks at the scratches on her arm.

"Back to normal, then," I decide, getting up from the ground. I help Alli up, too.

She wobbles a little, still shaking off the effects of the flute. "Thanks, guys. I owe you."

Yusuke waves it off, "Ah, don't worry about it. Hiei's the one who took her out, anyway." He turns and starts to leave the reserve. "I'll let Koenma know what happened later. Let's go."

Kuwabara follows almost automatically, then Kurama, who spares one more glance at Alli to make sure she's okay.

Alli calls Hiei's name. "Got a minute?"

He stares at her for a few seconds, then shrugs his response.

"Go on," she tells me. "I'll catch up."

This throws me a little, and I glance between them. "...You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll stop at your place on my way home."

Though I'm still unsure, I nod, "Okay." With that, I turn and start following the others. 'Why does she need to talk to Hiei?'

Alli's P.O.V.

I wait until the others are out of earshot, then turn to Hiei.

"What do you want?" he asks coldly, as usual.

"Just to ask you something," I say calmly. "Why did you wait so long to do anything?"

He narrows his eyes at me. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you were there when I was cornered. I _saw _you. Why did you wait?"

Hiei pauses, his glare unwavering. "I made the mistake of thinking you could defend yourself. If you weren't so weak, my assistance wouldn't have been needed."

I barely react to his insult. "Then why did you step in?"

"Because the idiot sensed me in the trees. If I'd stood by and let the fight go on, no doubt he would have mentioned it to Koenma. That would mean more restrictions on my probation."

'So he did it to save his own ass...' Despite my desire to beat him senseless, I nod and start walking away. "Thanks, Hiei." I ignore the feeling of his eyes boring into my back.


End file.
